Hello
by Wryze
Summary: Phineas, when he was younger, was a stubborn kid. He tended to make unnecessary challenges for him just to make life more interesting. Being a chatty child, his newest challenge may be harder than he thinks; Don't speak to his new classmate, Ferb, until Ferb speaks to him first. However, with all the changes in his life, would this be one challenge he won't be able to accomplish?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb in any way, shape, or form. I also shall not be repeating this disclaimer for all of the other chapters, for it is pretty obvious I am not the creator of this amazing series._

_Author's note: You guys got no idea how scared I am of posting something without planning out the rest of it. Though this is a story for the 'Ultimate Fanfiction Challenge 200 Prompts' and I've agreed to do this challenge, therefore I must comply to these rules. Considering how short I am making these chapters, we'll have big ways to go before we reach 20,000 words..._

Occasionally, people wonder how the two stepbrothers first meet. They all thought their lives were one big adventure, after all. How can you not? With the two most creative people on the planet, perhaps even beyond, their meeting must be something grand, right?

What people seldom think about, however, is what were the first words exchanged. Was it one of the many beloved catchphrases we hear to this day? A simple nod before the two went off tinkering?

No, Phineas and Ferb are a lot more human than that. You mustn't forget it. Phineas and Ferb are human, just like you (I assume) and I.

Their meeting is, in all actually, much more simple than you think.

Yet, if you search deeper, it is more complex than you'll ever be able to comprehend.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, cheer up, old chap. America would be a great experience for you."

Ferb simply stared at his dad without a word. They were on the road for what felt like hours after landing. The scenery never seem to change. All that is visible are the few patches of grass and the dirt covering over the horizon. Every few seconds, there would be a big bump in the road, taking the green-haired fellow away from his precious slumber.

Ferb's look is a powerful one. To those who know him, at the very least. To others, it would just be blank stare. With a simple glance of the mirror, a certain Laurence Fletcher can tell immediately that his son is not amused.

"I am sorry, Ferb." Not that Ferb had been counting, but this must be the fifty-sixth time his father had apologized. "You know how things has been in England. I'd say that this is a good opportunity to just relax, get away from all the memories. Do you understand what I'm saying?" asked his father, turning the stirring wheel to the left.

Ferb nodded. He understood, but that doesn't change the fact that he was not in a good mood. Yes, America is his chance. Make new friends. Go to places where he has never gone before.

However... He has never stepped further than school and the occasional field trip in some museum. This move is tearing apart his carefully constructed shell. His sanctum away from the world that he used to know.

Perhaps he's just being dramatic. He can't help it, however. It's not every day you move to another continent.

"Let's stop here."

His father's voice stopped his train of thought. The young child looked up to see his father opening the car door. Ferb did the same, stepping out of his car door with slight hesitation.

In front of him is a hotel with weathered walls and a suspicious odour lingering about.

"We are just stopping here for a while. It's getting late, after all, and I can tell you're not getting any sleep in our car." explained Laurence with a smile, taking Ferb's hand and leading him inside the motel.

Privately, Ferb exchanged a smile of his own. Yes, he may be stuck in a new country surrounded by odd people... but he's with his father, and that's all that matters.

Even when he's staying at the most foul-smelling hotel in America.

* * *

_REVIEWS:_

_Fyoex: Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

Phineas has been known to be a stubborn child growing up.

Oh, he still ate his vegetables, do his chores, finish his homework, etc like a good child. Although when he wants something, he would always get it. Without fail. His stubbornness has helped him out through the years, actually. That was how he got all of his books about inventing and advanced mathematics.

One thing people couldn't understand, however, is his love for challenges. Phineas Flynn is, no doubt, a thrill seeker. He would always find creative ways to make himself feel the adrenaline, much to his sister's dismay. With his thrill-seeking needs, combined with his overwhelming curiosity and outstanding intellect, people wonder how his friends manage to contain him.

And... That's just it.

He has no friends.

Now that can't be right. This is Phineas Flynn we're talking about! Sure, he is just a mere kindergartner, but still! What kind of child wouldn't want to hang out with the famed Flynn?

Phineas walked to school everyday, all alone. On this particular day, he was pondering over this fact. Yes, he does have a bunch of kids that would claim they are his friends, but are they really? Those people never hung out with the young redhead. All they do is just show up for his inventions.

The young inventor shook his head. His short-attention span let those thoughts wander away. It's not really important whether he has friends or not, right?

* * *

Phineas arrived to school precisely on time, as usual. Walking to school with nobody just means no distractions. So isn't it a good thing to have no company?

The class had continued their drawings on what they're going to be when they grow up. Phineas decided that he liked his drawing best. While some kids drew themselves as some superhero, or a policeman, or a vet... Phineas tend to view himself as someone who would do something great in their life. He didn't need a special machinery, or a gun. Just his two bare hands. Perhaps a wrench and a blueprint at his side.

"Phineas, what is this?"

Phineas grinned as the teacher took the drawing from his hands. "It's me!"

The teacher forced a smile. "I see that, honey. But you need to draw something to show what you're going to be when you grow up."

"I'll be Phineas Flynn- Inventor extraordinaire!" Phineas said those lines with a sense of pride in his voice.

"An inventor, huh." commented the teacher. She gave back the drawing to Phineas. "So how about you draw something you'll invent?"

Phineas stared back at his drawings. "But I don't wanna know! Everyday it could be a new invention. The possibilities is endless! Why plan out your life when you could experience it with all your might?"

The teacher decided to ignore those words. "I just want something with more detail, honey. Just draw you using one of the many inventions you would create in the future, okay?"

Phineas frowned slightly, before nodding and leaving the desk. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief, however that sigh didn't last long, for Phineas came back with another sheet of paper. Curious as to what Phineas has drawn in such short period of time, the teacher examined the piece of paper.

Let's see... The drawing on the front side is completely blank, plus the drawing on the back side is also completely blank. Amazing work this is.

"Phineas," said the teacher with a sigh, "This paper is empty."

Phineas shook his head. "You're supposed to use your imagination, Mrs. Honey! I'm planning on inventing an invisible cloak! Imagine, the principal is coming to your classroom, but one of your students was being naughty and dragged dirt everywhere!" Phineas placed a fist in the air dramatically. "That's nothing to fear! Just drape the invisible cloak over the dirt, and voila! One dirt-free classroom and one satisfied principal. What do you think?"

"That type of technology is far beyond our years, Phineas." said the teacher, completely forgetting the fact that this assignment is about the distant future. "Do you really think you'll be able to actually complete a feat like that?"

Phineas frowned for the second time in so many minutes. Weren't teachers supposed to be encouraging kids? "Is that a challenge? You want me to prove it to you that I can make an invisibility cloak?"

The teacher's eyes widened. She has heard about Phineas and the great lengths he does for challenges. "Of course n-"

"Challenge accepted!" declared Phineas, taking the paper back from the teacher. "I'll start with the blueprint right away!"

"Phineas, wait!"

Too late. Phineas was already in inventing land, drawing out his blueprints for the amazing invisibility cloak. Once he gets started, nothing can stop him.

The teacher placed her head in her hands. Idly, she wondered if she can call in sick tomorrow. There's a new beach opening up in Canada, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Phineas came in class early today, his bright grin shining even the dullest of lives. He stood on top of a table, making sure it's perfectly balanced, before speaking.

"Kids and other kids! Those with cooties and those without cooties! May I present to you the greatest invention on Earth!" he declared. "Well, next to spray cheese, anyway." The children couldn't help but mimic his grin, wondering what could Phineas be possibly presenting today. Whatever it is, he certainly seems proud of it.

"Feast your eyes on this!" he raised a cardboard box in the air.

"Look! It's a box!" exclaimed one of the kids, causing everyone to laugh, even though it wasn't at all funny.

Phineas ignored that child's statement, deciding to pat on the box. "Oh, no, my friends! It's not the box you should be feasting your eyes on..." He opened the box and made the motion of pulling out something. "It's this!"

Everyone stared at him. In his hand was nothing.

"Boo!" called out one of the children, and soon everyone was 'boo'ing and sticking out their tongues at Phineas. They did whatever they could do to show their distaste for the boy.

"Guys, guys, guys." said Phineas, plopping down on the table. "You don't even know what it is used for! Let me demonstrate!"

He made the motion of wrapping his arm with cloth. In seconds, the arm faded away into nothing, revealing just a floating hand!

The children gasped. "It's magic!"

"We could be like superheroes now!"

"I could hide my uncle's odd face!"

"Phineas!" Phineas looked down on the table to see his buddy Django, someone he hung around a lot. "Can I try?" the brown-haired boy looked very eager.

Phineas shrugged. "Sure, why not!" He unwrapped the invisible cloth from his arm. In mere moments, his arm regained it's visibility. The red-haired kid passed the cloth to Django. "Now be careful, Django, this is just a prototype. I'm still working on a few bugs."

Django dismissed Phineas with a wave of a hand. "Hey, no problem. You can count on me!" With a grin, he wrapped the cloth on his face. His face instantaneously disappeared. "Look guys! I'm headless!"

The children watched in awe as Django ran in circles. "Wee!"

Phineas, on the other hand, looked slightly panicked. "Django! I don't think this Invisibility Cloak is ready to bend light at the fast pace you are exerting!"

"What was that? This cloak has covered my ears!" exclaimed Django. He ran out of the classroom with glee. "I'm going to show this to my dad!"

"Django!" shouted Phineas, jumping off of the table. "This cloak isn't ready for natural sunlight!" He chased after his companion out of the classroom.

The remaining children stared at their fleeting figures, shrugged, then began to rummage through Phineas' box for more Invisibility Cloaks.

* * *

"Come on, Ferb. You would love this school."

Ferb didn't reply. He was simply taking in all of the different colours that lined the hallways. While they haven't arrived to their house yet, they have passed by the school his father was planning to enroll him into, so they decided to check the place out.

The young brit turned towards his father, before giving a thumbs up to express his approval for the school.

Just then, a figure rushed by them. Said figure had no head. "I'm the headless human! Hear me speak with my invisible mouth!" he exclaimed, bouncing through the halls.

Another figured raced pass them, this time it was a red-headed boy. "No! Django! Come back!"

As the two figures disappeared from view, both father and son stared at each other.

"Well, it is America." said Lawrence with a shrug.

"Now," started Lawrence, walking all the way to the end of the hall. "I daresay that this is your classroom. The principal had given us those specific instructions, after all."

Ferb nodded, wondering what kind of children lay here in America. Would they accept him?

Lawrence opened the door, and surprise surprise, kids with missing body parts roamed through the class! Hand-less children are oddly enough slapping each other, headless children are headbutting the wall, and body-less children are sleeping on the floor.

Lawrence closed the door. "America." he said simply. His son nodded.

"Oh!" the two turned towards a pretty young woman. Judging by the lack of grey hair and the serene look on her face, she has obviously not worked at school for long. "You... Must be a parent wanting to enroll their son here, correct?"

"Oh no, I have already enrolled him. Although we have a couple days to settle in until my son, Ferb, gets to go to school." explained Lawrence, patting Ferb on the shoulder. Ferb simply waved, not even offering a hello.

"Oh, a shy one, aren't we?" cooed the adult, smiling gently at Ferb. Ferb just blankly stared at her.

"He's not shy," explained Lawrence, "He just prefers not to talk. It does no good in forcing him of doing so."

"I see," said the adult with a nod of a head, "Well, the original teacher here, Mrs. Honey, unexpectedly called in sick. So I'm afraid you can't meet her at the moment."

"That is alright," said Lawrence, gripping onto Ferb's arm. "Come along, Ferb. We still have unpacking to do."

Ferb offered a nod, and off they went.

* * *

_This is an old chapter I found lying around. I really don't like it, cause I feel like my writing style has changed a little bit, but I figured I might as well post it. I was about to call in quits, you know, just abandon this story. Then I thought about the challenge, and well... Hey, it's a new year. How about I finish up 25% of the stories I had abandoned?_

_I'm going to start writing the next chapter right away and should be able to post in less than a week if everything goes as planned. This year, I'm going to work hard! That's my goal! Wish me luck!_

_REVIEWS:_

_Phinbella Fan No.1: Here's more! Thanks for reviewing!_

_Yemi Hikari: This is an amazing review right here :D. Yes, I know about the whole "show, don't tell" thing and how I terribly suck at it. But hey, I'm trying, and hopefully in a few years I'll get better. I didn't exactly have a proper idea about where this story is going, which is why these chapters are so short and non-descriptive, but I think I now know where I'm heading, so chapters should get longer from here on out. For being more descriptive... I got to work on that. Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing! I know you're also participating for the 200 prompts challenge thing, so good luck for that and I hope you reach 200 fanfics!_

_hilda-gatita: Thanks so much for your kind words and for reviewing! I really appreciate them!_


	5. Chapter 5

The car came into a stop in front of a one-story house. The house itself, while Ferb didn't imagine anything grand, didn't exactly looked like it was suitable for living. Faded beige paint had begun peeling off, a few spiderwebs blocked the windows, and the unpainted staircase seems as if it would break once he stepped on it.

The young green-haired child opened the door of the car, an uncomfortable feeling brewing in his stomach. There was nothing wrong with living here, but just staring at the house made him miss his old home back in England. At the very least the house back there looked less like a haunted house.

"Come on, Ferb," urged his father, gesturing at him to come and enter the house. Seeing a look of pleading in his father's eyes, Ferb complied and trailed along his father.

The child had walked much more slowly on the wooden steps, wincing slightly at each creak the wood made, but finally managed to get up the three steps leading to their house.

Inside the house is much better.

His feet clattered against the wooden floor. The house was empty except for the multitude of boxes scattered all about. After exploring all around the house, he was pretty sure the small room with boxes filled with his stuff is his room.

He opened a box, a forlorn look spread across his face.

Goodbye England.

* * *

Phineas gasped for breath, finally grasping onto Django's arm. This sudden event caused both boys to trip onto the grass of the school's playground. The redhead, finally glad to have the upper hand, ripped the Invisibility Cloak from Django's head.

"Django!" scolded Phineas, a look of annoyance on his face. "When I say stop, I mean it!" He hugged the Invisibility Cloak close to him, making sure the other boy won't grab it again.

Said other boy sniffled slightly, his eyes starting to turn moist. "You... You don't have to be so mean about it!"

Phineas bit his lip, debating his choices. Finally, he sighed, standing up and stretching out his hand. He was in no mood to start an argument with the other boy. "Come on, Django. The teacher is probably wondering where we are."

"I'm not going anywhere!" protested Django, sitting up and crossing his arms.

Phineas shrugged. "Suit yourself. I don't wanna get in trouble."

The red-haired boy walked off. Django's eyes widened.

"No! Wait for me!"

Phineas laughed, turning around to see Django stumbling to catch up with him. "That's what I thought."

* * *

"Ahh, you must be Mr. Phineas 'Troublemaker' Flynn!"

Phineas winced. That angry tone is not what he wanted to hear when he first enters class. Django entered the class behind him, before darting deeper into the classroom like a ninja. He probably didn't want to be a part of this conversation. Some friend he is.

Phineas tilts his head upwards to see a very tall lady, a bit younger than his mother's age. She has pure black hair tied in a bun and a scowl on her face.

"That's my name!" exclaimed Phineas, a little shakily, but as enthusiastic as he could muster, "Except, you know, without the trouble-maker part. My real middle name is-"

The woman cut in, obviously not sharing his enthusiasm. "I came into this class to see children running everywhere, using untested inventions of all things!" She gestured towards the same cardboard box Phineas held up a while ago. Inside is probably where all the other Invisibility Cloaks are. "They all said it was yours. What were you thinking!"

"Mrs. Honey said I couldn't do it," started Phineas in an attempt to explain himself, "So I wanted everyone to have fun after I proved her wrong." He paused slightly, a look of concentration on his face. "And they're not untested. I tested them myself."

The woman paled. "You tested them on your-?!" The lady seem to be at a lost for words. "This is really complicated machinery, Flynn. Your super smart mommy and daddy probably hid it from you so you don't use their inventions."

Phineas blinked, raising an eyebrow at the adult in front of her. "THEIR inventions?" he questioned, "But I built them."

"Phineas Flynn!" Man, that woman can make his name sound like a terrible thing. "We do not lie at school!"

"Huh?" Phineas looked completely and utterly confused. "What do you mean I-"

"Sit in the corner and rethink what you did!" yelled the black-haired woman, a sense of authority surrounding her.

Phineas, deciding he shouldn't complain, complied with her demands to sit in the corner. He still had no idea what he has done wrong.

At the corner of his eye, he watched as the strict woman begun to teach the class.

"Hello, class! My name is Mrs. Halliday, and I am your substitute teacher for the day. Now, I would like everyone to..."

* * *

Mrs. Halliday watched as everyone left the class. Once she was sure nobody is around to listen, the woman's shoulders slouched dramatically. Eyeing the cardboard box she confiscated earlier that day, the black-haired woman turned around and pulled out her cellphone.

"I have it right here."

There was a pause as Mrs. Halliday listened to the reply. The woman turned towards the cardboard box, examining it. "Invisibility Cloaks. Impressive, huh?"

She shut the box closed before gripping onto it with her free arm. "I'm on my way. The usual place?" A pause. "Alright, you got it. Goodbye."

"Mrs. Halliday?"

The woman jumped, hastily closing her cellphone and stuffing it into her pocket. She whipped her head around to see the young Phineas Flynn, tilting his head to the side.

Mrs. Halliday composed herself. "Ah, Flynn. What do you want? School is over."

"Oh, uh," he gestured to the box Mrs. Halliday held in her arms. "Can I have my box back?"

The woman frowned at him. "Of course not! I am sending this box to the principal's office!"

Phineas immediately looked thoughtful. The principal liked him. He could probably get the box from her tomorrow. It's not it'll go into the wrong hands or anything. "Well... Okay."

With a shrug, Phineas turned around and walked away. He shouldn't be late coming home. Tonight is taco night, after all!

Behind him, a sinister grin placed itself onto Mrs. Halliday's face.

* * *

_So... I actually finished this the day I posted the previous chapter, but I spent so much time debating whether or not I should cut out the first part of the chapter or add more to this chapter. I wanted to add more, but it wouldn't look consistent with the other chapters. So I'm planning to gradually write more and more. I'm also thinking about rewriting this whole story after nine more prompts, and since I don't like how I started this story, this will give me motivation to speed up the challenge a bit!_

_I also tried to be more descriptive in this chapter... Did it work, did I overdid it, or do I need to add more? Also, I really hate OCs... But I couldn't think of anybody else. There's barely any villains in Phineas and Ferb, after all..._

_REVIEWS:_

_hilda-gatita: Why thank you! That really brightened up my day. Thanks for reviewing!_


	6. Chapter 6

The following day, Phineas came up to the principal's office early in the morning, a nice bright smile plastered onto his face.

"Hello Mrs. Baxter!" exclaimed the young boy, face beaming at the principal. "The substitute teacher yesterday, Mrs. Halliday, confiscated my cardboard box. If it isn't much trouble, can I have it back now?"

The month-old principal stared at the young boy, a slight crease upon her eyebrows. "Mrs. Halliday..?" she asked slowly, as if trying her best to make sense of this conversation.

Phineas nodded eagerly. "Yeah! The substitute! She has, like, black hair, kind of skinny, and um... And she is very loud." Phineas struggled to find words to describe the woman.

Mrs. Baxter turned around to face her computer. She began typing for a little while, tongue sticking out in concentration, before the computer emitted a little beeping noise. Mrs. Baxter turned back around. "I'm sorry, Phineas. However the computers say nothing about a Mrs. Halliday substituting for Mrs. Honey. I don't even think I've heard of such a person."

The young boy stared at her. "Oh," was all that he said. "Um... So I can't get my cardboard box?" Phineas has his face downcast, looking very disappointed.

"I'm sorry, dear. There's nothing much I can do."

"Well... It's okay," said Phineas. Positive things rushed to his mind. "This means this is a mystery, right? I love mysteries!" He immediately brightened. "I know what I'm going to do today! Goodbye, Mrs. Baxter!"

"Don't hurt yourself," was the absentminded reply.

* * *

"So you're going to make a fingerprint-tracker?" asked Django, slurping his smoothie. They were in the cafeteria, both drinking smoothies Phineas bought for them.

Phineas nodded excitedly. Django may not be a good friend, especially for leaving him to suffer punishment singlehandedly a lot, but at the very least he listens. Besides, they're kids. Their low attention spans makes it so that they don't hold grudges for very long.

"Exactly!" chattered on Phineas, waving his smoothie around. "My cardboard box is full of my fingerprints, since it's after all, my cardboard box. If I build a tracker, I can find all the places in Danville where I left my fingerprints." He smiled at himself for his genius idea. "You in?"

"Hmm..." Django pondered this for a moment. "Meh. I'll participate, but only when I feel like it."

Phineas shrugged. "Good enough," he said. "Now, for the next part of my plan when I do find the box, I need-"

The bell rang.

"Sweet, lunchtime is over," said Django, throwing away his smoothie. It was time for recess. "See you later, Phineas! I promised Adyson I would hang out with her today!"

"Um, okay!" replied Phineas back with a smile, watching as Django exit the cafeteria. As soon as Django left, Phineas' smile dropped. What a pity.

He shrugged. It doesn't matter. He needed to draw blueprints and battle plans anyway. Scheming is just a one person job, after all...

* * *

Ferb lounged around their backyard, really wishing there was at the very least a tree to give off shade. The grass reached up to his ankles, but he didn't care. He simply leaned against the house, browsing through his big book of blueprints.

The young brit absolutely adored building stuff. He loved figuring out how things are made and reverse-engineering them. That was just his thing. Coming up with new things to build? That isn't exactly his forte.

"Hey, you!"

Ferb blinked. He looked over his fence to see a boy his age with wild brown hair. "Do you like to build stuff? I can't help but notice your blueprint book."

The green-haired boy wondered for a while how could he notice that without climbing on the fence, but decided not to question it. He instead nodded.

"Sweet! The name is Django. What's yours?" he asked, climbing over the fence and plopping into his backyard.

Ferb was fairly sure that's trespassing, but since he was bored, he decided to entertain the boy. He pointed to the cover of the book, which had his name in big bold letters. FERB.

"Ferb, huh?" verified Django, "Am I saying it right?"

Ferb nodded, before returning back to browsing his book. Django frowned slightly at the lack of attention, before he remembered why he was here in the first place.

"So, Ferb!" started Django, "You like to build stuff, your blueprints look foolproof from a distance, and a buddy of mine is an inventor that tends to have glitches in his inventions." He pointed at his hair, which was messed up beyond help. "I'm pretty sure my bad hairdo is after effects from his Invisibility Cloak."

Ferb nodded, not exactly sure what to do.

"So, I was actually gonna enter this house cause of a haunted house dare, but since there are clearly people living here, and I don't want to come all the way here for nothing, how about I make myself useful and strike a deal?" said Django, "So, will you help me?"

The boy raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking what is he supposed to help him with.

Django laughed, running his hand in his hair. "Yeah, I guess knowing the deal is kind of important. You see, I wasn't exactly paying much attention to what my friend was saying, but it has probably something to do with an invention. I think it's some tracker or something. Since he'll probably beg me to test it out, I want to make sure there has no glitches. That's where you come in. You think you can help him work on whatever invention he's doing?"

Ferb shrugged. Why not.

Django brightened up. "Great! The park, tomorrow, whatever time it is now!"

Ferb blinked. "Which park are you..."

Too late. Django had already hopped over the fence and ran, not hearing a single thing Ferb had just said. Ferb sighed.

"It occurs to me that I had just made an agreement to a person I just met." He shrugged, before returning back to his blueprint book. There can't be that many parks in Danville, right?

...Right?

* * *

"Phineas! Phineas!"

Phineas blinked, pausing his few final modifications in his blueprint. That was new. Not many people came up to him for a conversation. It's usually him coming to them.

"Django?" questioned Phineas, recognizing the voice. He turned around to see a grinning Django. Oddly enough, his hair was messier than he remembered. "What happened to your hair?"

"I think it's a side-effect from you Invisibility Cloak. You really need to work on that!" exclaimed Django, patting his hair in a poor attempt to tame it.

Phineas turned back to his blueprint. "Sure, I'll do that modification once I find it... If I know how..."

"That's just it!" started Django, "You know, you always have glitches in your inventions. Yes, they're usually small things, like eyeglasses that have their lens reversed, or food disappearing before you eat them, but I thought that it would be nice to have another person to work with you, you know?"

The redhead looked a little wary. "I work alone..." he stated slowly, trying to convey his message to Django. "I mean, my blueprints can get a little complicated, so..."

"I found an inventing enthusiast! He's our age too and says that he likes to build stuff. Well, he didn't actually say it, but he nodded."

"Wait, someone our age?" repeated Phineas, "Are you sure he's smart enough to help me? I mean, I don't want to be mean or anything, but a lot of adults don't understand a single thing about my blueprints, so..."

Django shrugged. "I dunno, that's your problem." The bell rang, signalling the start of class.

"_We'll talk later._" Django mouthed. Phineas nodded. Soon, the same old Mrs. Honey entered the class, looking weirdly at Phineas for some reason.

Eventually, during the middle of class, Phineas got very curious as to why she kept giving him strange looks. So, he raised his hand. As soon as he had done that, however, Mrs. Honey flinched, taking a step backwards.

"Mrs. Honey..?" started Phineas, watching as the teacher's eyes began to dart back and forth and her hands tremble. "Is there something the matter?"

"The matter?" repeated Mrs. Honey. "N-No! Nothing is the matter. I was just... Ah... Under the impression you took the challenge seriously yesterday. I was wondering if you were ever going to show it."

Phineas raised an eyebrow. "Show what? What challenge? The only challenge I started yesterday was to prove I can wash the dishes faster than my sister. I still got the feeling that I was tricked somehow..."

"The Invisibility Cloak," started Mrs. Honey, "That challenge." She shook her head. Why was she kicking a gifted horse in the mouth? "Never mind, it probably was too hard to accomplish, wasn't it."

"The Invisibility Cloak?" echoed Phineas, "I did that yesterday, right guys?" He gestured to the whole class. There were nods and murmurs of agreements everywhere. "The substitute saw it. Then confiscated it. Why did you pick such a disagreeable substitute?"

"The teachers don't pick the substitutes," said Mrs. Honey almost automatically, before she did a double-take, "Substitute? I was here yesterday, you all did a drawing about what would you like to be when you grow up."

"Um..." started Gretchen, one of the smartest girls in the class, "That was last Wednesday, in other words, the day before yesterday. There was a substitute named Mrs. Halliday filling in yesterday. Were you not at home sick?"

"I... I..." stuttered Mrs. Honey, "Today is Friday?"

All of the students nodded. Paling, Mrs. Honey walked over to the intercom and tried to figure this out with the local secretary. All the secretary could say is that she was certain there was a substitute on Thursday, however all of the computers state she was present on Thursday.

How odd.

A bright smile came upon Phineas' face as he took out a paper and began writing something down.

_**The Halliday Season Mystery**_

**Questions: Who is Mrs. Halliday? Why can't Mrs. Honey remember Thursday? Why do the computers say there was no substitute on Thursday?**

**Notes: Mrs. Halliday took my box of Invisibility Cloaks (sad face). Maybe that's the link to all of this!**

* * *

_So... I changed the summary from 'step brother' to 'classmate' and from the genre 'family' to 'mystery'. Even though I have no experience in writing mysteries. As you can tell, this chapter is way longer than the others, and should get longer the more I rush. Of course I reread everything, check for any errors I missed while typing, but I just can't wait to make sense of this so I can rewrite this. Yeah... I really need a schedule. But I'm sticking to an old rule that says that I must publish the chapter I have completed before typing away to the next chapter, plus the rule of no notes (but I am not doing those rules for all my other prompts, since the rules have changed)._


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright, so the guy's name is... Well, I forgot, but he has funny coloured hair, so you can't miss him," said Django before sniffing his sandwich. Thick green liquid drooped out of the sandwich. The bread felt as rough as sandpaper and a green scent comically emitted from the food.

Django scrunched up his nose. "This sandwich is disgusting! Wanna trade?"

Phineas's eyes widened, snapping his head around to search the cafeteria, trying to find something else Django could do other than trading his sandwich to him.

Seeing no escape, the boy sighed. "Okay, fine. But you owe me!" He passed his sandwich to Django, who in turn passed his disgusting sandwich back.

Goodbye perfect sandwich. Hello fowl sandwich that is currently dripping all over his hands.

Django brightened up. "Sweet! Thank you so much for your sandwich! Your mom is like, the best chef ever!" He took a big bite out of the sandwich. "Anyway, I told him to meet you in the park at five-ish. You know, two hours after school," he said, mouth still slightly full.

Phineas didn't comment on his lack of manners. "I know when five-ish is," he said instead, a slight twinkle of amusement flickering in his eyes. He then went back to doubting mode, a frown set upon his face. "Are you sure this is a good idea though?"

"I just don't want glitches, Phineas. You got to admit, you get hurt a lot cause of your glitches," said Django, looking away from the other boy. He took a big bite of his food, instantly brightening up. "Man, this is good! You better tell your mom to pack two of these next time!"

"Yeah..." trailed off Phineas, before taking a bite of his 'sandwich'. His eyes widened as he began coughing violently, tossing the sandwich somewhere on the table. People instantly fled from the sight of the dreaded sandwich near them.

"Phineas!" cried out Django, patting the other boy on the back.

Eventually, Phineas slowly ceased coughing. "What is in that sandwich..?" he croaked, watching as some odd liquid dripped from his sandwich. He promptly grabbed it and threw the so-called food in the garbage, wiping the sandwich residue off his hands and on some wall somewhere.

"I dunno," said Django with a shrug, "Your voice though! It sounds really bad!"

"It does?" asked Phineas, wincing slightly as he felt his throat burn. Maybe he should stop talking for a while, but he couldn't help it. "So, why did you got someone that neither of us knows to help on my project?"

"Aww come on, dude!" exclaimed Django, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "What's up? Normally you'd be excited, stranger or not."

Phineas tried not to give Django a surprised look. He didn't think Django would know him that well, especially considering the fact that he ditches him half of the time. "Well... You see... That cardboard box is really important to me, you know?"

Django snorted. "Why? It's just a cardboard box."

Django's lack of caring threw Phineas off. "Yeah... You're right..." lied Phineas, poking the cafeteria table. "I'm going to buy something to eat. Stay right here, okay?"

"You betcha!" exclaimed Django, a smile on his face, "But dude, you seriously got to lay off the talking. I think you might be allergic to the sandwich!"

"I'll be fine," insisted Phineas, trying not to wince as his voice began to crack a bit.

After those words, Phineas stood up and dug out his allowance for the week. He had lots of money, especially after selling many of his inventions. Trudging his way through the sea of people, he managed to find the line for the cafeteria.

Working with someone... What was Django thinking? Sure, working with people could be cool, but not for something this important to him. Well, there's no use helping it.

Speaking of which, Django never specified which park the meeting place was...

Phineas glanced into the cafeteria, right where they were sitting. Unfortunately, Django wasn't there. He looked deeper into the cafeteria to see the brown-haired boy, talking with a whole bunch of other people. The young inventor didn't recognize them. Were they new friends of his? Did Django just ditched him for people he knew for less than a day?

The redhead frowned. He told Django to stay right there!

"Hey, are you buying something or what." The gruff voice of the lunch lady made him turn around. Phineas nodded, and since he remembered he should lay off the talking, he simply pointed towards the burgers.

It appears that he's just going to have to find the park himself.

* * *

One hundred and thirty two parks.

Ferb resisted the urge to hit his head against the desk, instead he just stared at the computer with his usual blank face. The screen displayed a map of Danvile, many areas circled in red.

If only Django told him which park it is, or at the very least spare him some details for any general direction to search in. But no, Django assumed he would know which park he must go to. To make matters worse, he doesn't even know how Django's friend looks like!

This is what he gets for making deals with strangers. Next time, wait a month. That's what he should do. America is nothing like England.

Ferb sighed, printing out the map of Danville.

Well, it's worth a shot. A hundred and thirty two parks, here he comes.

* * *

Phineas hadn't seen Django after school, so Phineas went straight ahead home. The moment he stepped foot in his beloved yellow household, he marched right up onto the computer and began compiling a list of every single park in Danville.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at most of them. He didn't realize there were so many parks in Danville! Although he was pretty sure many of them are closed... Man, that means that he has to search every single park and mark out the ones that has been demolished, doesn't he?

"Mom, I'm heading out!" shouted Phineas, grabbing his coat. He noted that his voice sounded slightly better, but it was still a little hoarse.

"Phineas?" questioned his mom, Linda. She dashed into the room. "Was that just you who said that?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Linda gasped. "Your voice! Oh Phineas, why does your voice sound so sick? Do you have a fever?" She immediately checked Phineas' forehead.

Phineas laughed. "No mom, I was taking a bite of Django's awful sandwich and I think it messed up my voice. But I'll be fine, it's healing." There's a burning sensation in his throat, but it's still healing.

"Oh no you're not!" said Linda, crossing her arms. "Here, Phineas, I'll go get a pen and a notepad. But no talking, okay? You might permanently damage your vocal cords."

Phineas nodded, idly wondering how a simple bite from a sandwich could turn out this bad.

When his mom returned, Phineas took the pen and notepad then began to write. "**I am meeting up with someone. Can I still go?**"

"But Phineas, your voice sounds really terrible! Can't you just cancel?" asked Linda, worried look still present in her eyes.

Phineas wrote below his previous note. "**I can't cancel. Django planned the whole thing and kind of messed up, so I have to go looking for the other person.**"

Linda nodded, a look of understanding flooding into her eyes. She didn't understand the situation, but she knew how Phineas is always determined to fix every single one of Django's mistakes. That was a challenge he made up for himself. That boy makes the stupidest challenges ever (not that she would ever admit that out loud), but his ambition is always so inspiring that you can never stop him.

"Well..." started Linda hesitantly, "Okay, but do nothing else but tell the person you're cancelling. No talking! Use the notepad."

Phineas nodded. "**Okay mom.**"

With that, Phineas was off. There were a hundred and thirty two parks to look for a boy that he only knew was his age and funny coloured hair.

Why must he be put in these types of situations?

"Be back before dark!"

Phineas nodded at his mother's cry, before looking at his list he wrote down earlier, labeling all of the parks in Danville.

Here we go.

* * *

_Well, that ends that. I've finished over a quarter of the requirement (6,412 out of 20,000 words), which makes me really happy! Exactly 13,588 more words to go to finish the requirement! Hahahahahaha why did I take this challenge again?_

_So hey! Does anyone have any guesses what would happen next? It would be interesting to know, plus guesses actually tells me some things about how I am building the plot. They're really fun to read!_

_REVIEWS:_

_Sabrina06: Is that so? Well, thanks for reviewing!_

_Hilda-gatita: Wow really? You're awesome, you know that? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!_


	8. Chapter 8

Ferb frowned, crossing off the forty eighth park on his map. His nose scrunched up at the horrible smell the whole place emitted. He didn't understand how this park hasn't closed up yet. With its foul odour, rusted chains on the swing sets, and spiderwebs everywhere, it's a wonder that this place isn't closed up. Especially since there's another fresh and new park just across the street.

Whatever, there are just eighty four more parks to go... There is no way he could possibly make it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, a certain Phineas Flynn had just crossed off his twenty ninth park. He had scanned the whole park for anybody his age with weird coloured hair. Nobody fit that description. The area is nice, though. This is one of the newer parks, after all. Maybe he should play in it after the whole weird coloured hair hunt is over.

He marched on across the street, to the next park. This park is definitely a lot worse by comparison. All of the sudden, Phineas accidentally collided with a green-haired fellow his age.

"Oof!" In all this action, Phineas' papers scattered on the ground.

Wincing slightly, Phineas picked up his notepad and started to write. "**Sorry about that.**" The boy simply nodded and plopped onto the ground, picking up all of Phineas' papers. He handed them over with a mere blank look on his face. The redhead could hardly tell if the other boy is mad or indifferent.

Nevertheless, with a bright smile on his face, Phineas continued to write on his notepad. "**Thank you so much for the papers.**" He hugged the papers against his chest, making sure they're secure and won't fall out again. "**Hey, have you seen any kids our age with weird coloured hair?**"

* * *

"**Hey, have you seen any kids our age with weird coloured hair?**" Ferb blinked at the redhead's question.

First, he crashed into this kid, who apparently can't talk judging by how he's using a notepad to communicate, picked up his stuff for him, then he's asking about a kid with weird coloured hair. Well, that's one way to start a conversation.

A kid with weird coloured hair? The youngster immediately felt self-conscious about his hair. His hair was just naturally coloured green, so it can't be too weird, right? He remembered how his old classmates kept commenting about how stupid his hair looks.

He shook his head. He didn't want to remember that.

The boy looked disappointed, staring at his list forlornly. "**Well, okay, thanks anyway.**" Oh, woops, the other kid must have taken him shaking his head as a no. What was the question again?

It didn't matter anyway. The redhead walked off in a hurry, scanning the park Ferb was just in, before crossing something off on his list and heading to the next park.

Ferb found the entire conversation strange, before shaking it off. (Which reminded him that he should really stop that habit.) It was around the time he was supposed to meet Django's friend, but he hadn't found a single person who recognized him. Django did describe him to his friend, right?

The Brit walked across the street, straggling around the park. Nobody seemed to recognize him at all. For all he knows, the friend could be running late and was waiting at a park Ferb had already been to.

The green-haired fellow shook his head. No, stay positive. If he keeps an optimistic mindset, he'll definitely find Django's friend.

Hopefully.

* * *

_"That kid had such cool hair."_ thought Phineas absentmindedly, thinking about the green-haired kid he saw an hour ago. He scanned the park for any weird-coloured hair people. He actually didn't know this park existed, but it was kept in good shape for something that's about twenty years old. After finding no odd coloured haired person, he crossed off the final park in Danville.

Phineas stared at his list. He had already crossed off every single park there is. There were no weird-coloured hair people that knew Django in any of the parks he has been to.

"Django..." whined Phineas softly, before coughing. He's gonna kill Django! (Not literally, of course.) Both for the rancid sandwich that made his voice hoarse and for sending him on a wild goose chase! What was the boy thinking?!

Hanging his head low, he walked home. Such a waste of time this day has been. Time he could have spent working on the fingerprint tracker.

* * *

Ferb was taking the long way back home, going through as many parks as possible on the way there. He had finished searching all one hundred and thirty two parks, but he wanted to make sure just in case the person might recognize him and show up.

Suddenly, someone poked him on the shoulder. He turned around to see the same red-haired guy from before, a bright smile smack dab on his face.

The kid pulled out his notepad and began writing. "**You're that guy from before!**"

Ferb nodded uneasily, wondering what this was about. He felt hungry, wanting to go home to get some food. It had been a long afternoon searching, after all.

"**You don't talk much, do you.**" The kid had a look of concentration on his face. It's almost as if you can see all the gears working inside his head. Ferb shrugged in response. It's not that he couldn't talk, he just preferred not to. There was nothing wrong with that. He can have all sorts of inner monologues with himself as long as he stays quiet.

"**Well! I got a challenge for you!**" Ferb raised an eyebrow. A challenge? He can never resist a good challenge.

The redhead, looking like he liked his reaction, began writing quickly on his notepad. "**Yep, a challenge. First one to talk to the other, as in forming sounds with their mouths specifically to the other person, loses. So, you got any ideas for the stakes?**"

Ferb simply deadpanned at him. Saying the stakes is basically talking, something he was just challenged not to do.

The redhead laughed, before coughing. Man, that kid looked pale. Is he sick? The kid then turned towards his notepad. "**You're smart. We'll plan that later. My name is Phineas, what's yours?**"

Ferb pulled out his big book of blueprints to show his name to Phineas in the same way he has done so to Django; by showing the cover saying FERB in bold letters.

Phineas raised an eyebrow. "**Cool. Well, I'm heading home. Mom has pie for dessert. See you later, Ferb.**" Ferb nodded, before Phineas darted off to some random direction, a crazed look on his face. Well, it looked crazed in his opinion.

The Brit shrugged before walking back home. He didn't care too much about the challenge. After all, it's not like he would see Phineas again, right?

* * *

On the course of the next two days, Phineas was not pleased. He had to go to the hospital for food poisoning on the weekends, therefore losing precious time working on his fingerprint tracker. On Monday, due to his vocal cords finally healing, Django was earning an earful.

"I am never doing tradesies with you ever again, Django! Food poisoning! Temporary lost of vocal cords! What was your mom thinking when she packed you that sandwich? Also, another thing, that whole park hunt search was a bust!"

"Well!" started Django, "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you and Ferb which park you two were supposed to meet!"

"Well thanks to that-!" Phineas paused mid-rant. "Ferb?"

Django nodded vigorously, a smile lit up on his face. Phineas seemed to have stopped ranting. "Yeah, I finally remembered his name! Ferb. Weird name, don't you think?"

"I was supposed to meet up with... FERB," said Phineas slowly, mouth agape.

"Yeah..." said Django, eyebrows creasing in slight confusion, "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I... I..."

"Everyone to their seats!"

That was the teacher, Mrs. Honey. Everyone scrambled to their seats, not wanting to face her wrath when she gets mad. Last time she got mad, Baljeet, the school-lover, had actually tried to avoid school for a whole week!

"Students," started Mrs. Honey, an air of authority surrounding her. It looks like she recovered from forgetting a day of her life. "I would like you all to meet a new student today. He came here from England. People, please be nice." She pointed to the middle of the class. "That includes you, Buford." That earned an 'aww...' from the resident bully.

"Ferb Fletcher, please enter the classroom."

* * *

_I did the math...ish. If I finish each story in one month, I can finish the challenge in... Eh, 16-17 years. Making me 30-31 years old until I finally finish the challenge. And that's only if I don't procrastinate. Ah well, it would be time well spent, I think._


End file.
